The conjunctiva is the clear, thin tissue that lines the inside of your eyelids and covers the white of your eye.
What is trachoma?
Trachoma is a particular type of bacterial infection of the conjunctiva.
-
Trachoma is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis
-
If it isn’t treated, you can lose your vision
-
Trachoma is the most common preventable cause of blindness in the world
-
Trachoma happens mostly to young children who live in dry, hot countries in North Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia
-
Trachoma spreads easily by touching the eye or hands of an infected person, by flies, or by sharing infected objects, such as towels
-
Doctors treat trachoma with antibiotics
What causes trachoma?
What are the symptoms of trachoma?
Usually both your eyes are affected. Early symptoms include:
After awhile, trachoma gradually starts to affect your cornea. The cornea is the clear part of your eye that you see through. It is in front, over the colored part of your eye (the iris). When your cornea is affected by trachoma, you have:
